DRINKING WATER
Rural North Texas Community Cuts Non-Revenue Water By 42% With Pipeline Leak Detection Technology
Discover how a city solved its non-revenue water challenge by rapidly pinpointing three hard-to-find leaks in 13 miles of aging pipeline using a free-swimming acoustic tool.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![Corrosion Pipe]( "Measuring pH And Its Role In Corrosion Control")
Measuring pH And Its Role In Corrosion ControlCorrosion control has always been a priority for distributing safe drinking water throughout the world's networks of pipelines. And beyond the significant health risks it poses, corrosion causes a number of other headaches for water systems.
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![englewood]( "No Shutdowns, No Setbacks: The Smart Valve Strategy Behind Englewood's Water Upgrade")
No Shutdowns, No Setbacks: The Smart Valve Strategy Behind Englewood's Water UpgradeDiscover how Englewood, Colorado's Lead Reduction Program utilized Hydra-Stop's Insta-Valve technology to replace 3,000 lead service lines without service disruption, overcoming aging infrastructure challenges and ensuring consistent water supply.
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![From Zero To 2 Million]( "From Zero To 2 Million")
From Zero To 2 MillionSince 1977, Endress+Hauser has produced over two million electromagnetic flowmeters. That is more than any other manufacturer. “This magic number stands for high-quality measuring technology and, above all, satisfied customers in all kinds of industries,” says Bernd-Josef Schäfer, Managing Director of Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG, the center of competence for flow measuring technology.
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![California Dreamin’? Pilot Study Makes Treating Arsenic, Manganese And Iron A Reality]( "California Dreamin'? Pilot Study Makes Treating Arsenic, Manganese And Iron A Reality (Loprest)")
California Dreamin'? Pilot Study Makes Treating Arsenic, Manganese And Iron A Reality (Loprest)A pilot study was conducted for arsenic, manganese, and iron treatment system at a well site. The onsite pilot test demonstrated the performance of the Loprest Water Treatment Company treatment process.
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![faucet_Getty-855532396]( "Predicting How Effective Water Filters Are At Removing A Variety Of PFAS")
Predicting How Effective Water Filters Are At Removing A Variety Of PFASA major topic of research for EPA researchers is evaluating how effective different water treatment technologies are at removing PFAS from drinking water. Unfortunately, there are thousands of different types of PFAS chemicals and each of them may respond differently to the same type of water treatment technology.
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Precise Biogas Flow Measurement
As oil prices remain high, we are in the midst of a nation-wide initiative to seek renewable sources of energy to increase energy efficiency and energy security. Renewable energy accounted for 13.2% of the domestically produced electricity in 2012. Among the sources of renewable energy is the production of biogas from landfill gas (LFG) or digester gas. By Scott Rouse, VP Product Management, Sierra Instruments
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![Dual Parallel Lateral Filter Underdrains Selected To Replace Underperforming Nozzle Design At Mexico's Largest Drinking Water Treatment Plant]( "Dual Parallel Lateral Filter Underdrains Selected To Replace Underperforming Nozzle Design At Mexico's Largest Drinking Water Treatment Plant")
Dual Parallel Lateral Filter Underdrains Selected To Replace Underperforming Nozzle Design At Mexico's Largest Drinking Water Treatment PlantLocated about 78 miles (125 kilometers) west of Mexico City lies the municipality of Villa de Allende, home of Mexico’s largest potable water treatment plant. The Los Berros water treatment plant was constructed in 1980 by the National Water Commission (Conagua), an agency of the Mexican government that manages the nation’s drinking water and wastewater treatment. The plant provides 396.3 million gal/day (1.5 billion L/day) of water to the country’s capital city, equivalent to approximately 25 percent of the total water supply of the western hemisphere’s most populace metropolitan area.
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![fuelandfueladditives_factsheet-1]( "Fuel And Fuel Additives")
Fuel And Fuel AdditivesThe fuels that propel modern society have been found in water supplies all over the world. Some fuel-related contaminants can be found at a majority of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) National Priority List Sites, where they pose a potential threat to human and environmental health.
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![GettyImages-881634740_for_web]( "Instrumenting The Water Network: The Time Is Now")
Instrumenting The Water Network: The Time Is NowWith the improved capabilities and affordability of today’s sensor technology, now is the time for water utilities to instrument their networks from the source to the customer.
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![uv-disinfection]( "Advances In UV Disinfection For Wastewater Tertiary Treatment In Open Channels")
Advances In UV Disinfection For Wastewater Tertiary Treatment In Open ChannelsMeeting modern water reuse goals requires moving past legacy disinfection. Advances in UV technology now provide chemical-free, reliable pathogen inactivation for even high-flow, open-channel tertiary treatment.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Oxidation Reduction Potential10/29/2021
What is ORP? Oxidation Reduction Potential or Redox is the activity or strength of oxidizers and reducers in relation to their concentration. Oxidizers accept electrons, reducers lose electrons. Examples of oxidizers are: chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, ozone, and chlorine dioxide. Examples of reducers are sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Like acidity and alkalinity, the increase of one is at the expense of the other.
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Organics Aren't Invisible: A Guide for Simple Online Monitoring5/13/2019
Control of dissolved organics has been one of the highest priority concerns for most water treatment plants for over 20 years. Organics monitoring is an even more critical issue today in the face of more stringent regulations and concerns around trace organics, emerging contaminants, and even counter-terrorism or water security. Despite the critical need, many plants still rely primarily on turbidity for monitoring and process control.
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Irrigation Technology In Agriculture: How New Technologies Overcome Challenges1/29/2019
As the world’s population continues to increase at a fast pace, more food and water will be needed to sustain humanity. In the past 50 years, we have tripled our need for water and food, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. As a result of these conditions, smart, innovative agricultural practices are needed now more than ever. Technology can, and already does, aid agriculture in innumerable ways. One prominent part of agriculture that can use technological innovation to increase efficiency and effectiveness is irrigation.
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Determination Of Polar Pesticide Residues In Food Of Plant Origin, By And Automate QuPPe Solution9/29/2014
The QuEChERS (Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe) sample extraction method was developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products11/1/2020
Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.
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Performance Test Services For UV Advanced Oxidation Systems12/1/2025
UV AOP performance verification requires a robust test matrix covering design, operating, and control conditions. This process includes on-site execution, sample analysis, and troubleshooting to achieve successful regulatory approval.
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Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples5/31/2011Total bound nitrogen (TNb) consists of dissolved ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, amines, and other organic nitrogen-containing compounds. TNb measurements represent an alternative to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) analysis for rapid screening of industrial wastewater, drinking water,agricultural run-off, and surface waters. By OI Analytical
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What Is Genclean Advanced Oxidation Disinfection Solution And What Is It Used For?2/18/2021
A non-toxic, advanced oxidation (AOP) formula of minerals chelated with oxygen and stabilized in an aqueous water solution. It is a viable option in industries and applications requiring a solution to challenging situations where high level effective sanitization and oxidation is required. Read more to learn how the Genclean advanced oxidation treatment solutions can be used in different applications.
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HOD™ (Hydro-Optic Disinfection) UV Water Treatment For Bottled Water3/27/2025
The HOD™ (Hydro-Optic Disinfection) UV water treatment system by Atlantium Technologies represents a groundbreaking advancement in drinking water disinfection, particularly for the bottled water industry.
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The Basics: Keeping Our Water Clean Requires Monitoring4/30/2014
Keeping the water in our lakes, rivers, and streams clean requires monitoring of water quality at many points as it gradually makes its way from its source to our oceans. Over the years ever increasing environmental concerns and regulations have heightened the need for increased diligence and tighter restrictions on wastewater quality.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Utilizing advanced ultrasonic flow measurement, the Sonata Ultrasonic Meter greatly improves low flow measurement compared to residential mechanical meters, making it an ideal solution for addressing Non-Revenue Water (NRW).
The Series 1100HV is a restraint made for existing push-on joints on large diameter C900 PVC pipes. It is built from ASTM A536 ductile iron and has a MEGA-BOND® Restraint Coating System.
The OPTIMASS 3400 is a cost-effective Coriolis mass flowmeter for accurate flow measurement of liquids and gases in a variety of demanding low flow and dosing applications (from 0.3 kg/h or 0.01 lb/min upwards). The OPTIMASS 3400 features Entrained Gas Management (EGMTM) for liquid applications, providing reliable readings even in the event of gas entrainment of up to 100%. In this way, the Coriolis meter enables continuous and uninterrupted measurement of volume flow and mass, density and temperature – even at very difficult process conditions with 2-phase flow.
Is your data working for you? For many modern utilities, it can be difficult to get a complete understanding of their true level of operational efficiency. Not because they don’t have enough data, but because it is often split between various systems that can’t easily communicate with one another.
The MEGA-STOP® is a safe and economical “over-insertion” solution. With it, you can properly and quickly assemble pipe joints each and every time.
The SAF-X self-cleaning filter provides improved usability, easier maintenance and higher installation flexibility along with Amiad’s proven suction-scanning cleaning technology. SAF-X. Simply Better.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option.
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![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens.
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![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
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![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "AI, Data Centers, And Water")
Amid the AI-fueled gold rush, more leaders are beginning to pay attention to the short- and long-term natural resource concerns, especially around all the water needed to keep data centers running. -
![Money down drain-GettyImages-171578755]( "Is This The End Of Affordable Water?")
Water pricing often fails to reflect scarcity, quality, or long-term risk, forcing companies to act internally. But this action is not being done in a vacuum. The ripple effect of internal water pricing is bound to impact water utilities, and ultimately, ratepayers and consumers. -
![PFAS Label on hundred dollar bill-GettyImages-2193126716]( "PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities")
Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
In this episode of The Water Online Show: On Location, our guest is Mike Blackburn from Hach. Mike dives into the benefits of panel-mounted solutions for water quality monitoring.
Discover how integrated membrane system designs can maximize the operating stability of EDI systems and reduce mixed bed regeneration frequency.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.